Only one in three managed to secure a same-day appointment – despite a Government pledge to make such slots routinely available.

Dr
Baker said: “Patients should be able to get an appointment with their GP when they need one - and GPs and practice nurses should be able to concentrate on the person in front of them instead of worrying about the
queues building up in the waiting room.”

She
added: “General practice is the cornerstone of the NHS and we cannot sit back and allow it to wither on the vine, as if it were to collapse, the rest of the NHS would follow close behind.”

Last
night, the Department of Health claimed it was increasing funding for GPs but did not deny family doctors would face the 17% cut in real terms.

A spokesman said: “We ­recognise GPs are hard-pressed.

“As
part of ambitious changes to the GP contract, we will free them up from
unnecessary red tape to devote more time to patients and have agreed a £3.8billion Better Care Fund to join up health and social care.”